Page 12 - Des Pawson "Des Pawson's Knot Craft" 2 edit.

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SOME TIPS OF THE TRADE
that tallow will help clean your The purpose of any rigging mix is
hands of Stockholm tar. A blob to protect the rope and wire from
rubbed into the hand then wiped moisture. Some people paint
off onto a cloth will get rid of seizings and servings in a
most, and then soap and water contrasting colour as a decorative
should do the rest. feature.

LINSEED OIL STOCKHOLM TAR
This is good for ‘feeding’ wood This can still be obtained from
and, mixed with Stockholm tar, tack shops and veterinary sources
can be the base for a treatment where it is still used on the
for rigging. It is worth knowing hooves of animals.
that there are two types of linseed
oil, boiled and raw. The boiled PAINTS AND VARNISHES FOR
oil will go off and harden almost DECORATIVE WORK
like paint. ‘Raw oil soaks right in, In the old days, when only
boiled oil forms a skin.’ natural materials were used,
everything had to be protected
RIGGING MIXTURES from the weather. The quality of
I do not think that rigging mixes the materials may not always
are particularly scientific. Use a have been the best, so paint was
mixture of perhaps 2 to 1 of used both to protect and
Stockholm tar to boiled linseed highlight decorative knots, and
oil, with a touch of dryers if whole bell ropes would be
possible to help it go off. If the tar painted. Ropework on tillers
is very thick and you want it to would have been varnished.
penetrate into fibres or right into If you use natural materials
the core of the wire you may wish today it is worth remembering
to add some real turpentine to the this, and you may wish to treat
mixture. There is no need to add your ropework in the same way. If
the whiskey described in the you have the time and inclination
recipe given in Brady’s Kedge you can do the same on any
Anchor 1849: synthetic lines used. Take care, as
varnishes change the colour of
‘For blacking ship’s standing materials quite dramatically. Many
rigging: To half a barrel of tar yacht varnishes will make
add 6 gallons of whiskey, 4 a flax or hemp line go very
pounds of litharge, 4 pounds dark brown, like a tarred line, and
of lamp black, 2 buckets of will turn a white line a golden
boiling beef pickle or hot salt colour. I have found that some of
water out of the coppers, if the the varnishes based on either
other cannot be had con- acrylic or PVA (which allow the
veniently. Mix well together brushes to be cleaned in water and
and apply immediately.’ are sometimes sold as ‘low odour’)

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